Purification and antifungal activity of recombinant chitinase from Escherichia coli carrying the family 19 chitinase gene of Streptomyces sp. J-13-3

A recombinant chitinase was purified from the cell extract of Escherichia coli JM109 transformed by plasmid pUC19 carrying the gene encoding family 19 chitinase of Streptomyces sp. J-13-3 by column chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose, CM-Sepharose, and Bio-Gel P-100. The final preparation was homogenous in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 32,000. The recombinant chitinase hydrolyzed the trimer to hexamer of N-acetylglucosamine and had the identical N-terminal amino acid sequence of the mature protein, indicating removal of the signal sequence by E. coli signal peptidase. The fungal growth in well (200 microl of medium) of microplate by measurement of absorbance at 595 nm indicated that the chitinase (10 microg) completely and half inhibited growth of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger respectively.     

桑氏链霉菌几丁质酶ChiKJ40基因的克隆表达及其抑菌作用

【背景】目前关于桑氏链霉菌(Streptomyces sampsonii)生防基因的研究不多,仅从其基因组中克隆了2个几丁质酶基因片段,其单个几丁质酶的完整基因序列相关研究未见报道。【目的】克隆S.sampsonii KJ40的几丁质酶基因Chi KJ40并进行原核表达,纯化重组蛋白并研究其抑菌作用。【方法】采用PCR扩增法从S.sampsonii KJ40中克隆几丁质酶基因Chi KJ40,连接到表达载体p ET-32a,导入Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)进行诱导表达。使用His标记蛋白质微量纯化试剂盒对重组几丁质酶进行纯化,Bradford蛋白浓度测定试剂盒测定粗酶液和纯化酶液的浓度,几丁质酶试剂盒测定粗酶液和纯化酶液的几丁质酶活性。观察重组几丁质酶对桉树焦枯病菌(Cylindrocladium scoparium)、栗疫病菌(Cryphonectria parasitica)、链格孢菌(Alternaria alternate)、紫丝核菌(Rhizoctonia violacea)几种致病真菌的抑菌作用。【结果】Chi KJ40基因(登录号为MF434484)在E.coli中经IPTG诱导表达,获得42 k D的重组几丁质酶,不同浓度IPTG在37°C诱导3 h,蛋白产量无明显变化。0.2 mmol/L IPTG 16°C诱导过夜,重组几丁质酶主要以可溶性形式存在于上清,小部分以包涵体存在于沉淀中。粗酶液几丁质酶活性为0.080 U/m L,酶比活力为0.041 U/mg,纯化酶液几丁质酶活性为0.046 U/m L,酶比活力为0.115 U/mg,纯化倍数为2.8,酶活回收率为57.5%。重组几丁质酶处理后,C.scoparium、C.parasitica和A.alternata菌丝细胞出现分节、膨胀,R.violacea菌丝溶解且部分被破坏成碎片。【结论】Chi KJ40基因的研究补充了S.sampsonii的生防背景,为几丁质酶基因找到了新的来源,并为其应用奠定了理论基础。     

Subcellular Localization of Chitinase and of Its Potential Substrate in Tomato Root Tissues Infected by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici

Antiserum raised against a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) chitinase (molecular mass of 26 kilodaltons) was used as a probe to study the subcellular localization of this enzyme in tomato root tissues infected with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici. A time-course experiment revealed that chitinase accumulated earlier in the incompatible interaction than in the compatible one. However, in both systems, chitinase deposition was largely correlated with pathogen distribution. The enzyme was found to accumulate in areas where host walls were in close contact with fungal cells. In contrast, the enzyme could not be detected in vacuoles and intracellular spaces. The substantial amount of chitinase found at the fungus cell surface supports the view of an antifungal activity. However, the preferential association of the enzyme with altered fungal wall areas indicates that chitinase activity is either preceded by the hydrolytic action of other enzymes such as β-1,3-glucanases or coincides with these enzymes. The possibility that fungal glucans released through the action of β-1,3-glucanases may act as elicitors of chitinase production is discussed.     

Cloning,expression, and characterization of an antifungal chitinase from Leucaena leucocephala de Wit

Chitinase cDNAs from Leucaena leucocephala seedlings were cloned by PCR amplification with degenerate primers based on conserved class I chitinase sequences and cDNA library screening. Two closely related chitinase cDNAs were sequenced and inferred to encode precursor proteins of 323 (KB1) and 326 (KB2) amino acids. Expression of the KB2 chitinase from a pET32a plasmid in Origami (DE3) Escherichia coli produced high chitinase activity in the cell lysate. The recombinant thioredoxin fusion protein was purified and cleaved to yield a 32-kDa chitinase. The recombinant chitinase hydrolyzed colloidal chitin with endochitinase-type activity. It also inhibited growth of 13 of the 14 fungal strains tested.     

Cloning, expression and functional characterisation of chitinase from larvae of tomato moth (Lacanobia oleracea): a demonstration of the insecticidal activity of insect chitinase

Chitinases are vital to moulting in insects, and may also affect gut physiology through their involvement in peritrophic membrane turnover. A cDNA encoding chitinase was cloned from larvae of tomato moth (Lacanobia oleracea), a Lepidopteran pest of crops. The predicted protein contains 553 amino acid residues, with a signal peptide of 20 a.a. Sequence comparison showed 75-80% identity with other Lepidopteran chitinases. L. oleracea chitinase was produced as a functional recombinant enzyme in the yeast Pichia pastoris. A fusion protein containing chitinase joined to the N-terminus of snowdrop lectin (GNA) was also produced, to determine whether GNA could deliver chitinase to the haemolymph of Lepidopteran larvae after oral ingestion. The purified recombinant proteins exhibited similar levels of chitinase activity in vitro. Both proteins were highly toxic to L. oleracea larvae on injection, causing 100% mortality at low dose (2.5 microg/g insect). Injection of chitinase prior to the moult resulted in decreased cuticle thickness. The recombinant proteins caused chronic effects when fed, causing reductions in larval growth and food consumption by up to 60%. The oral toxicity of chitinase was not increased by attaching GNA in the fusion protein, due to degradation in the larval gut, preventing GNA acting as a "carrier".     

Characterization and amino acid sequence of IRT-4, a novel TEM-type enzyme with a decreased susceptibility to β-lactamase inhibitors

Abstract A novel procedure was used to purify a cytosolic chitinase from Candida albicans to electrophoretic homogeneity. The results represent the first demonstration of the purification of a fungal intracellular chitinase using the criterion of a single band detected following silver-staining of a polyacrylamide gel run under denaturing conditions. Purified chitinase had pH and temperature optima of 5.0 and 50°C, respectively. Inhibition of enzyme activity by allosamidin was pH-dependent occuring maximally at pH 8.0. Phospholipids had similar marked and highly specific effects on the activities of both the purified soluble enzyme and a solubilized microsomal chitinase from C. albicans . Evidence is provided for the existence of a complex chitinolytic system in this organism.     

Cloning,characterization and expression of the chitinase gene of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterobacter</Emphasis> sp. NRG4

A chitinase producing bacterium Enterobacter sp. NRG4, previously isolated in our laboratory, has been reported to have a wide range of applications such as anti-fungal activity, generation of fungal protoplasts and production of chitobiose and N-acetyl D-glucosamine from swollen chitin. In this paper, the gene coding for Enterobacter chitinase has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The structural portion of the chitinase gene comprised of 1686 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence of chitinase has high degree of homology (99.0%) with chitinase from Serratia marcescens. The recombinant chitinase was purified to near homogeneity using His-Tag affinity chromatography. The purified recombinant chitinase had a specific activity of 2041.6 U mg⁻¹. It exhibited similar properties pH and temperature optima of 5.5 and 45°C respectively as that of native chitinase. Using swollen chitin as a substrate, the K_m, k_cat and catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) values of recombinant chitinase were found to be 1.27 mg ml⁻¹, 0.69 s⁻¹ and 0.54 s⁻¹M⁻¹ respectively. Like native chitinase, the recombinant chitinase produced medicinally important N-acetyl D-glucosamine and chitobiose from swollen chitin and also inhibited the growth of many fungi.     

地衣芽孢杆菌MY75菌株几丁质酶基因的异源表达及特性

【目的】地衣芽孢杆菌MY75菌株的几丁质酶基因的异源表达,并对表达蛋白的特性进行研究。【方法】制备MY75菌株培养上清粗蛋白,利用酶谱分析确定具有几丁质酶活的蛋白分子量。将该蛋白进行飞行时间质谱分析,确定其部分氨基酸序列,设计PCR引物对MY75菌株的几丁质酶基因进行克隆及异源表达。对表达蛋白的最适反应温度及pH,温度耐受性及金属离子对酶活力的影响等特性进行了研究,并测定了表达蛋白对真菌孢子萌发的抑制活性和对甜菜夜蛾幼虫的杀虫增效作用。【结果】酶谱分析证明MY75菌株培养上清液中仅含有一种55kDa的几丁质酶。将该编码基因chiMY克隆及序列分析后发现,基因长度为1797bp,编码599个氨基酸。在大肠杆菌中异源表达的几丁质酶ChiMY蛋白的分子量为67kDa。质谱分析证明,55kDa蛋白与67kDa蛋白序列相同。ChiMY最适pH和最适温度分别为7.0和50°C,为中性几丁质酶。Li+,Na+,和Mg2+离子对表达蛋白的酶活力具有促进作用,Mn2+,Cr3+,Zn2+和Ag+离子则能显著抑制酶活力,Cu2+和Fe3+离子完全抑制酶活性。生物测定的结果显示,异源表达的MY75几丁质酶能够抑制小麦赤霉及黑曲霉的孢子萌发,并且对苏云金芽孢杆菌的杀虫活力具有增效作用。【结论】地衣芽孢杆菌MY75菌株中仅有一种55kDa几丁质酶,其编码基因能够在大肠杆菌中大量表达,表达蛋白分子量与野生型蛋白之间有显著差异,由此证明MY75菌株中存在着几丁质酶的剪切加工过程。明确了地衣芽孢杆菌几丁质酶ChiMY具有抑制真菌活性及杀虫增效作用。上述全部研究结论在国内首次报道。     

Production and characterization of a thermostable chitinase from a new alkalophilic Bacillus sp. BG-11

An alkalophilic, environmental micro-organism, Bacillus sp. BG-11, has been isolated and characterized. It produced 76 U ml-1 of chitinase in liquid batch fermentation after 72 h of incubation at 50 degrees C using chitin-enriched medium. The molecular weight of purified chitinase was estimated to be 41 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The pH and temperature optima of chitinase immobilized on chitosan and calcium alginate were 8.5 and 50 degrees C, respectively, which were same as that of free enzyme. The pH and thermostability of immobilized chitinase were enhanced significantly. The chitinase immobilized on chitosan was stable between pH 5.0 and 10.0, and the half-life of chitosan-immobilized enzyme at 70, 80 and 90 degrees C was 90, 70 and 60 min, respectively. The end-products formed during the enzyme-substrate reaction were identified by 13C-NMR, and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine was found to be the major end-product. GlcNAc (GlcNAc)2 and (GlcNAc)3 inhibited the chitinase activity by 32, 25 and 18%, respectively, at a concentration of 10 mmol l-1. The shelf-life of chitinase (retained 100% activity) at 4 degrees C was 8 weeks in the presence of either sodium azide (100 microgram ml-1), sodium metabisulphite (0.1% w/v) or KCl (15% w/v). The enzyme was resistant to the action of proteases and allosamidin.     

Production of Antifungal Chitinase by Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 and Its Potential Role in the Biological Control

Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 produces an antifungal chitinase. Different sources of chitin in the medium were used to test the production of the chitinase. Chitinase production was most effective when colloidal chitin and shrimp shell were used as substrates. The optimum incubation period for chitinase production by Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 was 6?days. The chitinase was purified from the culture medium by fractionation with ammonium sulfate and affinity chromatography. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 43?kDa. The highest activity was obtained at 40?°C for both crude and purified enzymes. The crude chitinase activity was stable during 180?min incubation at 40?°C, but purified chitinase lost about 25?% of its activity under these conditions. Optimal pH for chitinase activity was pH 6–6.5. The activity of crude and purified enzyme was stabilized by Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions, but inhibited by Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions. Chitinase isolated from Aspergillus niger LOCK 62 inhibited the growth of the fungal phytopathogens: Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia solani. The growth of Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, and Fusarium oxysporum was not affected.     

Evidence Supporting a Role for Mammalian Chitinases in Efficacy of Caspofungin against Experimental Aspergillosis in Immunocompromised Rats

Objectives

Caspofungin, currently used as salvage therapy for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), strangely only causes morphological changes in fungal growth in vitro but does not inhibit the growth. In vivo it has good efficacy. Therefore the question arises how this in vivo activity is reached. Caspofungin is known to increase the amount of chitin in the fungal cell wall. Mammals produce two chitinases, chitotriosidase and AMCase, which can hydrolyse chitin. We hypothesized that the mammalian chitinases play a role in the in vivo efficacy of caspofungin.

Methods

In order to determine the role of chitotriosidase and AMCase in IPA, both chitinases were measured in rats which did or did not receive caspofungin treatment. In order to understand the role of each chitinase in the breakdown of the caspofungin-exposed cells, we also exposed caspofungin treated fungi to recombinant enzymes in vitro.

Results

IPA in immunocompromised rats caused a dramatic increase in chitinase activity. This increase in chitinase activity was still noted when rats were treated with caspofungin. In vitro, it was demonstrated that the action of both chitinases were needed to lyse the fungal cell wall upon caspofungin exposure.

Conclusion

Caspofungin seemed to alter the cell wall in such a way that the two chitinases, when combined, could lyse the fungal cell wall and assisted in clearing the fungal pathogen. We also found that both chitinases combined had a direct effect on the fungus in vitro.     

莱氏野村菌Cq菌株几丁质酶基因的克隆与表达分析

【目的】为揭示昆虫病原真菌分泌的几丁质酶对宿主感染致病时的作用,对莱氏野村菌Cq菌株几丁质酶基因进行了克隆与表达,并检测了表达产物的活性。【方法】采用CTAB法提取菌体DNA,设计特异性引物,多次PCR扩增克隆莱氏野村菌Cq菌株几丁质酶基因全序列,并克隆基因的ORF片段chit1,与载体pPIC9K相连接,构建表达载体pPIC9K-Chit1,转入毕赤酵母感受态细胞中,然后通过1.5mg/L浓度的G418筛选及PCR验证,将阳性转化子进行诱导培养,对发酵液分别进行酶活性测定试验、几丁质酶透明圈验证试验和SDS-PAGE电泳检测。【结果】莱氏野村菌Cq菌株几丁质酶基因全长序列为2756bp(NCBI登录号:EU795711),PCR扩增得到开放阅读框ORF片段chit1为1827bp,其中包含3个内含子,5′端非编码区长76bp,3′端非编码区240bp,编码424个氨基酸的几丁质酶前体,理论信号肽剪切位点在Gly(20)与Leu(21)之间;毕赤酵母重组细胞发酵液中几丁质酶活性随着发酵时间的延长而增加,72h达到最大值482.5U/100μL,透明圈活性验证试验显示,在含1%的几丁质平板上可出现明显的透明圈,表达产物SDS-PAGE电泳检测其分子量为41.0kDa。【结论】本研究克隆到莱氏野村菌Cq菌株几丁质酶基因,其ORF成功重组到毕赤酵母中并表达出有活性的几丁质酶。基因表达产物的利用对进一步研究病原真菌染病昆虫的机制等具有重要意义。     

First report of a bifunctional chitinase/lysozyme produced by Bacillus pumilus SG2

Bacillus pumilus SG2 isolated from high salinity ecosystem in Iran produces two chitinases (ChiS and ChiL) and secretes them into the medium. In this study, chiS and chiL genes were cloned in pQE-30 expression vector and were expressed in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli strain M15. The recombinant proteins were purified using Ni-NTA column. The optimum pH and optimum temperature for enzyme activity of ChiS were pH 6, 50°C; those of ChiL were pH 6.5, 40°C. The purified chitinases showed antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum, Rhizoctonia solani, Magnaporthe grisea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Trichoderma reesei, Botrytis cinerea and Bipolaris sp. Moreover, purified ChiS was identified as chitinase/lysozyme, which are capable of degrading the chitin component of fungal cell walls and the peptidoglycan component of cell walls with many kinds of bacteria (Xanthomonas translucens pv. hordei, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, Bacillus licheniformis, E. coli C600, E. coli TOP10, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida). Strong homology was found between the three-dimensional structures of ChiS and a chitinase/lysozyme from Bacillus circulans WL-12. This is the first report of a bifunctional chitinase/lysozyme from B. pumilus.     

A unique chitinase with dual active sites and triple substrate binding sites from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis KOD1

We have found that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 produces an extracellular chitinase. The gene encoding the chitinase (chiA) was cloned and sequenced. The chiA gene was found to be composed of 3,645 nucleotides, encoding a protein (1,215 amino acids) with a molecular mass of 134,259 Da, which is the largest among known chitinases. Sequence analysis indicates that ChiA is divided into two distinct regions with respective active sites. The N-terminal and C-terminal regions show sequence similarity with chitinase A1 from Bacillus circulans WL-12 and chitinase from Streptomyces erythraeus (ATCC 11635), respectively. Furthermore, ChiA possesses unique chitin binding domains (CBDs) (CBD1, CBD2, and CBD3) which show sequence similarity with cellulose binding domains of various cellulases. CBD1 was classified into the group of family V type cellulose binding domains. In contrast, CBD2 and CBD3 were classified into that of the family II type. chiA was expressed in Escherichia coli cells, and the recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity. The optimal temperature and pH for chitinase activity were found to be 85 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. Results of thin-layer chromatography analysis and activity measurements with fluorescent substrates suggest that the enzyme is an endo-type enzyme which produces a chitobiose as a major end product. Various deletion mutants were constructed, and analyses of their enzyme characteristics revealed that both the N-terminal and C-terminal halves are independently functional as chitinases and that CBDs play an important role in insoluble chitin binding and hydrolysis. Deletion mutants which contain the C-terminal half showed higher thermostability than did N-terminal-half mutants and wild-type ChiA.     

Cloning and expression of an alpha-1,3-glucanase gene from Bacillus circulans KA-304: the enzyme participates in protoplast formation of Schizophyllum commune

A culture filtrate of Bacillus circulans KA-304 grown on a cell-wall preparation of Schizophyllum commune has an activity to form protoplasts from S. commune mycelia, and a combination of alpha-1,3-glucanase and chitinase I, which were isolated from the filtrate, brings about the protoplast-forming activity. The gene of alpha-1,3-glucanase was cloned from B. circulans KA-304. It consists of 3,879 nucleotides, which encodes 1,293 amino acids including a putative signal peptide (31 amino acid residues), and the molecular weight of alpha-1,3-glucanase without the putative signal peptide was calculated to be 132,184. The deduced amino acid sequence of alpha-1,3-glucanase of B. circulans KA-304 showed approximately 80% similarity to that of mutanase (alpha-1,3-glucanase) of Bacillus sp. RM1, but no significant similarity to those of fungal mutanases.The recombinant alpha-1,3-glucanase was expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami B (DE 3), and significant alpha-1,3-glucanase activity was detected in the cell-free extract of the organism treated with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. The recombinant alpha-1,3-glucanase showed protoplast-forming activity when the enzyme was combined with chitinase I.     

Chitinolytic and antifungal activity of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus pumilus</Emphasis> chitinase expressed in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

The Bacillus pumilus SG2 chitinase gene (ChiS) and its truncated form lacking chitin binding (ChBD) and fibronectin type III (FnIII) domains were transformed to Arabidopsis plants and the expression, functionality and antifungal activity of the recombinant proteins were investigated. Results showed that while the two enzyme forms showed almost equal hydrolytic activity toward colloidal chitin, they exhibited a significant difference in antifungal activity. Recombinant ChiS in plant protein extracts displayed a high inhibitory effect on spore germination and radial growth of hyphae in Alternaria brassicicola, Fusarium graminearum and Botrytis cinerea, while the activity of the truncated enzyme was strongly abolished. These findings demonstrate that ChBD and FnIII domains are not necessary for hydrolysis of colloidal chitin but play an important role in hydrolysis of chitin–glucan complex of fungal cell walls. Twenty microgram aliquots of protein extracts from ChiS transgenic lines displayed strong antifungal activity causing up to 80% decrease in fungal spore germination. This is the first report of a Bacillus pumilus chitinase expressed in plant system.     

Isolation of a thermostable legume chitinase and study on the antifungal activity

Chitinases are listed as one class of pathogenesis-related proteins, and they have become a popular research topic because of their resistance to plant-pathogenic diseases. A chitinase with antifungal activity was isolated from the Canadian cranberry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). The procedure included extraction, ammonium sulfate precipitation, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, CM-Sephadex C-50, and Sephadex G-75. There was an almost 108-fold increase in specific activity of the purified chitinase compared with that of the crude extract. The enzyme exhibited a molecular mass of 30.6 kDa in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis both under reducing and non-reducing conditions, indicating that it was a monomeric protein. The pI was determined to be 7.6 by isoelectric-focusing electrophoresis. The optimum pH and the optimum temperature for activity towards N-acetyl-glucosamine was 5.4 and 40–55°C, respectively. It exerted a potent inhibitory action toward fungal species including Botrytis cinerea, Physalospora piricola, Fusarium oxysporum, and Pythium aphanidermatum. The chitinase was thermostable up to 58°C in both enzymatic reaction and antifungal activity. The present findings demonstrated a thermostable chitinase from cranberry beans with potentially exploitable significance.     

Crystallographic structure of ChitA,a glycoside hydrolase family 19, plant class IV chitinase from Zea mays

Maize ChitA chitinase is composed of a small, hevein‐like domain attached to a carboxy‐terminal chitinase domain. During fungal ear rot, the hevein‐like domain is cleaved by secreted fungal proteases to produce truncated forms of ChitA. Here, we report a structural and biochemical characterization of truncated ChitA (ChitA ΔN), which lacks the hevein‐like domain. ChitA ΔN and a mutant form (ChitA ΔN‐EQ) were expressed and purified; enzyme assays showed that ChitA ΔN activity was comparable to the full‐length enzyme. Mutation of Glu62 to Gln (ChitA ΔN‐EQ) abolished chitinase activity without disrupting substrate binding, demonstrating that Glu62 is directly involved in catalysis. A crystal structure of ChitA ΔN‐EQ provided strong support for key roles for Glu62, Arg177, and Glu165 in hydrolysis, and for Ser103 and Tyr106 in substrate binding. These findings demonstrate that the hevein‐like domain is not needed for enzyme activity. Moreover, comparison of the crystal structure of this plant class IV chitinase with structures from larger class I and II enzymes suggest that class IV chitinases have evolved to accommodate shorter substrates.     

Effect of chitinase antisense RNA expression on disease susceptibility of Arabidopsis plants

Chitinases accumulate in higher plants upon pathogen attack are capable of hydrolyzing chitin-containing fungal cell walls and are thus implicated as part of the plant defense response to fungal pathogens. To evaluate the relative role of the predominate chitinase (class I, basic enzyme) of Arabidopsis thaliana in disease resistance, transgenic Arabidopsis plants were generated that expressed antisense RNA to the class I chitinase. Young plants or young leaves of some plants expressing antisense RNA had <10% of the chitinase levels of control plants. In the oldest leaves of these antisense plants, chitinase levels rose to 37–90% of the chitinase levels relative to vector control plants, most likely because of accumulation and storage of the enzyme in vacuoles. The rate of infection by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea was measured in detached leaves containing 7–15% of the chitinase levels of control plants prior to inoculation. Antisense RNA was not effective in suppressing induced chitinase expression upon infection as chitinase levels increased in antisense leaves to 47% of levels in control leaves within 24 hours after inoculation. Leaves from antisense plants became diseased at a slightly faster rate than leaves from control plants, but differences were not significant due to high variability. Although the tendency to increased susceptibility in antisense plants suggests that chitinases may slow the growth of invading fungal pathogens, the overall contribution of chitinase to the inducible defense reponses in Arabidopsis remains unclear.     

Purification of a chitinase from Trichoderma sp. and its action on Sclerotium rolfsii and Rhizoctonia solani cell walls

Trichoderma harzianum is an effective biocontrol agent of several important plant pathogenic fungi. This Trichoderma species attacks other fungi by secreting lytic enzymes, including beta-1,3-glucanase and chitinolytic enzymes. Superior biocontrol potential may then be found in strains having a high capacity to produce these enzymes. We have therefore evaluated the capacity of six unidentified Trichoderma spp. isolates to produce chitinolytic enzymes and beta-1,3-glucanases in comparison with T. harzianum 39.1. All six isolates demonstrated substantial enzyme activity. However, while the isolates hereafter called T2, T3, T5, and T7 produced lower amounts of enzymes, the activity of isolates T4 and T6 were 2-3 fold higher than that produced by T. harzianum 39.1. A chitinase produced by the T6 isolate was purified by a single ion-exchange chromatography step and had a molecular mass of 46 kDa. The N-terminal amino-acid sequence showed very high homology with other fungal chitinases. Its true chitinase activity was demonstrated by its action on chitin and the failure to hydrolyze laminarin and p-nitrophenyl-beta-N-acetylglucosaminide. The hydrolytic action of the purified chitinase on the cell wall of Sclerotium rolfsii was convincingly shown by electron microscopy studies. However, the purified enzyme had no effect on the cell wall of Rhizoctonia solani.